TDP nominee for Bheemunipatnam Assembly segment Ganta Srinivasa Rao is optimistic that the projects initiated by him as Minister will contribute to his success in the election. He said protests against the proposed merger of Bheemunipatnam in the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) would not have an impact as the proposal was recommended by the sitting MLA based on the aspirations of the people. “We will go by the people’s decision on merger of Bheemunipatnam. The merger of Anakapalle was welcomed by the people,” he says.
“I had no inkling that I would be given the ticket to contest from Bheemunipatnam. Though I was a Minister for a short period of two years, I was instrumental in getting funds to the tune of Rs.55 crore for the Vizag – Bheemunipatnam beach corridor. The DPR for a satellite port in Bheemunipatnam was prepared and Rs.2 crore was sanctioned.”
“After bifurcation, Bheemunipatnam has the highest potential for development as most of the areas in Visakhapatnam have reached the saturation level. It can be developed like Madapur and the proposed Metro Rail project for Vizag would connect to Bheemunipatnam. There is lot of scope for development of the film industry,” he says.
YSRC nominee Karri Seetharam feels that the pro-poor schemes introduced by the late Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy will see him through in the elections.
Mr. Seetharam returned after a hectic day’s election campaign at Majjivalasa around 4.30 p.m. on Tuesday. “I won against the four-time MLA and TDP candidate RSDP Appalanarasimha Raju, in 2004 despite being a newcomer then,” he recalls with a sense of pride in his voice. He claims credit for undertaking development works worth Rs.5 crore like laying of tar roads to about 75 per cent of the villages, sanctioning of a water scheme with Rs.17 crore to tide over water crisis and renovation of the Bheemunipatnam Municipal Office with Rs.50 lakh. “I do not have rebel trouble and you can see that the party ticket aspirants like Korada Rajababu and P. Uma Rani are behind me. On the other hand, Anita ‘akka’ (Anita Sakuru) would cause a dent in the TDP vote bank,” he says.
On the long-pending demand for construction of an RTC Complex at Tagarapuvalasa, he says though land was identified for the purpose, the construction could not be taken up. He also alleged that his successor had failed to continue the development works.
He makes light of his opponent and TDP candidate’s political clout saying that YSRC honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma’s contesting for the Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha and his being a local candidate would ensure his victory in the election.
